—n.
1 the buoyant light-brown bark of the cork-oak.
2 a bottle-stopper of cork or other material.
3 a float of cork used in fishing etc.
4 Bot. a protective layer of dead cells immediately below the bark of woody plants.
5 (attrib.) made of cork.
—v.tr. (often foll. by up)
1 stop or confine.
2 restrain (feelings etc.).
3 blacken with burnt cork.
Phrases and idioms:
cork-oak a S. European oak, Quercus suber. cork-tipped Brit. (of a cigarette) having a filter of corklike material.
Derivatives:
corklike adj.
Etymology: ME f. Du. & LG kork f. Sp. alcorque cork sole, perh. f. Arab.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.